The Best Blenders for Next-Level Shakes and Frozen Drinks

BestProducts.com participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Buying a blender? It can be a tedious process to look at the specs of every option out there, so we did it for you. Check out our favorite blenders below, with everything you need to know about power, speed, and function.

Learn More About Our Top Five Picks:

Best Overall

Bottom Line: The Ninja Professional Blender is the perfect mix of affordability and high performance.

This is our pick for the best quality blender that can power through smoothies, sauces, soups, and even make homemade nut butters — without breaking the bank.

It features a powerful and efficient 1,000-watt performance, with six chopping blades that shred through fruits and vegetables and turn ice into snow in just seconds. Simple and easy-to-use buttons allow you to cycle between low, medium, and high speeds, and the pulse button makes it easy to pulverize small bits. Plus, a large pour spout is perfect for serving blended drinks without causing a complete mess on your counter.

Best Budget Buy

This 700-watt blender is a super affordable pick that'll do the trick when it comes to everything from soft purees to frozen fruits. Though it won't blend as smoothly as, say, the Vitamix below, it'll absolutely work for your basic blending needs.

It has 12 blending functions, including mix, puree, dice, and grind — great for making chunky salsas and sauces. The 40-ounce glass jar is sturdy and hard to break, and the no-mess pouring spout features a hinged top that keeps it from dripping.

Best Splurge

Pros: Large capacity, extremely high-powered blades, speed control, warranty of up to 10 years

Cons: Takes up a lot of space, pricey, loud

Bottom Line: The Vitamix might be pricey, but you're paying for the highest quality appliance that'll last you for years to come.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Vitamix blenders are known for their incredible quality. You'll pay a premium for this top-of-the-line option, but we're here to tell you that if you're able, you should absolutely invest in one.

The Vitamix's insane motor (powered by nearly 1,400 watts) gives satiny-smooth results, but the best part is that the speed can be raised gradually, which gives you greater control. It comes with a 64-ounce carafe and a tamper, so if you're blending up small amounts and need to push the ingredients closer to the blades, you won't have to turn it off to stir.

Some of you may be wondering why we chose the Vitamix over its similarly-priced rival, the Blendtec. To answer simply, even though the Blendtec has a little bit more power, it doesn't work any better for your average blending needs. While it's still a wonderful choice, it's much louder than the Vitamix, and the capacity is smaller.

Best Two-in-One

Bottom Line: If you don't want to invest in both a personal blender and a full-sized version, this is the perfect in-between.

The base of this blender is almost exactly the same as our pick for Best Overall, but it features an extra 100 watts and a different button layout (still with three speeds and a pulse option). You can expect very similar results, with the added bonus of a blade attachment that fits personal-sized cups for small-batch blending.

It should be noted that this one is very loud — like, wake the kids up if you're making a smoothie in the morning loud.

Best for Single Servings

Bottom Line: If you make a lot of individual-sized smoothies or don't need a large sized blender, the NutriBullet is the way to go.

The NutriBullet blades were designed to be able to extract the most amount of nutrients from your ingredients, and they work wonders on everything from frozen fruits to small batches of soups and even nut butters.

The setup comes with two different blades, one intended for liquifying or pureeing ingredients, and another that was created for milling seeds, oats, and nuts down to a fine powder.

The only downside is that you can't control the speed of the blender, but that isn't really an issue if you pretty much always use it to create smooth purees.

More of Our Top Picks:

Just because they didn't make our top five doesn't mean they're not worth shopping — especially for their distinctive features and various price points. Read on to learn more about our top choices.

Best for Programmability

Bottom Line: This blender is best for kitchen multitaskers who don't want to be tied to their appliances while cooking or prepping.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

This blender not only has a crazy-powerful motor, but it also includes a programmable timer that'll shut off the blender automatically when the cycle is done (so you can literally walk away from the kitchen while it's still running). It even has a load sensor that adjusts the speed of the blender based on how heavy your ingredients are and how smoothly they're blending. This reduces the buildup of air pockets, which requires stopping the blender's function and stirring ingredients around. It's also much quieter than most blenders of a similar power level.

The base has a button specifically for smoothies, another for ice crushing, and two for power levels high and low. It can also pulse for quick grinds and rough chops.

Best for Space-Saving/New Kitchens

Bottom Line: If you're just stocking your kitchen for the first time, or in need of a totally new set of appliances, this set contains all your basics.

Yes, we've got quite a few of the Ninja blenders on this list — and no, it's not sponsored by them! The brand just makes really great blenders at extremely reasonable price points, and we don't shy away from acknowledging it.

The Ninja Mega Kitchen System has a 1,500-watt base that powers through frozen fruits and ice with ease, but what makes it especially worth investing in is the fact that it also comes with single-serve cups (similar to the NutriBullet ones) for small-batch blending, as well as a food processor attachment that's perfect for chopping and grinding (as opposed to completely pulverizing). The pitcher is also a whopping 72 ounces — enough to make a giant batch of margaritas!

Best for Colorful Personalities

Bottom Line: This is the best option for anyone who cares about the aesthetics of their kitchen.

KitchenAid is a brand synonymous with quality and longevity, and their blenders are no exception. The strong motor and slick blades can puree even the pits of your peaches (in case you accidentally drop them in), and the pulse button works on any speed setting for consistent blending. Automatic sensors also adjust the speed of the blender to avoid buildup as the weight of hard-to-blend ingredients gets shifted around.

Over 20 color options give you the chance to customize it to your kitchen's aesthetic, just like their famous stand mixers.

Best for Programmed Settings

Cons: Loud, suction feet that keep it locked to the counter can be hard to pull up

Bottom Line: If you want a serious high-performance blender but aren't quite ready to drop $300+, the Ninja Chef does the job nearly just as well.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

What sets this blender apart from the other Ninja options is not just its 1,500-watt performance, but the fact that it has SO many pre-programmed blending speeds, which all take the guesswork out of prepping. Choose from options like nut butter, flour/mill, frozen drinks, puree, smoothie, dip/salsa, and more.

This blender uses a dial to control speed (just like the Vitamix), so you can be as precise as you want. It also comes with a tamper to keep ingredients from building up, so you don't have to stop the blender to stir every time there's an air pocket.

Best for Smoothies

Bottom Line: This blender's rounded bottom keeps ingredients from getting trapped, making it a great option for people who make smoothies with frozen fruit.

The Breville Hemisphere Control blender was designed to eliminate the buildup issue that happens so often with bulky/frozen ingredients. The downside of the pitcher design is that the blades are permanently attached to the carafe, which can make it difficult to clean — a small price to pay for zero buildup or air bubbles (smoothie farts, as I like to call them!).

The base features five pre-programmed speed settings, plus a smoothie button, a pulse button, and an ice crush button. It even has a built-in timer to let you know how many seconds are left on your setting.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Best Products participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.